Private Air New York

www.privateairny.com Private Air | Winter 2019/2020 53 Merilee A. Kern, MBA, is an internationally-regarded branding and marketplace trends pundit—an industry voice of authority and tastemaker who spotlights noteworthy industry innovators, change makers, movers and shakers. She reports on noteworthy experts, brands, products and services across all categories as well as exemplary destinations, experiences and events. Reach her at www.TheLuxeList.com and on social media: Instagram www.Instagram.com/LuxeListReviews; Twitter www.Twitter.com/ LuxeListEditor; Facebook www.Facebook.com/TheLuxeList; and LinkedIN www.LinkedIn.com/in/MerileeKern. falling behind on their New Year's resolutions can actually parlay pitfalls into renewed intentions that can reinvigorate. #4: Value and Demonstrate Loyalty It often takes a strong character to accomplish things in life, and this holds true for New Year's resolutions as well. is according to "Character Coach" Gary Waters who enjoyed a 30-year career as a NCAA basketball head coach. Waters believes that character begins by being loyal to yourself and that quitting is the most disloyal thing you can do. Loyalty means different things to different people, of course. For Waters, loyalty is about the commitment one makes to a cause. It involves a feeling of devotion or obligation to something in both good times and bad. Other definitions describe loyalty as involving faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty. In all instances, however, loyalty is about integrity—keeping one's word or upholding expectations as demonstrated through one's actions, optimally in a sustained and habitual manner. Waters believes that ingraining a sense of loyalty to one's own wants and needs is a fundamental aspect of character building. Once you've mastered this for yourself, you can then impart the value of loyalty on those you have an impact on—be that in the workplace, at home or on a playing field. Irfan Khan also knows a thing or two about loyalty. As the president and CEO of Bristlecone, a company whose size he has doubled the last four years by completely centering it around the needs and wants of his customers, Khan is an expert in "antifragility." A concept defined by popular economic thinker Nassim Taleb, an antifragile system is one that, "instead of breaking under stress and change, thrives under it. e antifragile grow and improve from external shocks." While typically applied to supply chain management and a consumer-centric approach and attitude in business, Khan asserts that trials and tribulations that test and attempt to undermine one's loyalty can, and should, actually make that loyalty stronger and uncompromising. #5: Recalibrate When Required It is to be expected that one will face stress and difficulties in their road to successful resolutions, but some of those roadblocks may be signs it's prudent to rethink your goals altogether. Career coach Sheeba Forbes faced this same dilemma when starting her practice intended to help women advance in the workplace. Many times, as her business was establishing itself, Forbes had to step back and re- evaluate if a particular goal was what she actually wanted—or even needed—or if it was time to "course correct" and adapt her objectives slightly to accomplish the bigger picture of what she set out to achieve. is ability and willingness to readjust and reacclimate to new conditions and situations taught her the value of taking a break, stepping back to re-evaluate goals and ensure the "why" behind them still aligns with current circumstances and desires. To this point, Dr. Quinella Minix, a personal performance coach, concentrates on intrinsic motivation. She advocates a focus on knowing what drives you and why. Minix underscores that it's easy to get distracted by the "wrong why," which can lead you down a path that wastes time and energy and can often take you further away from your goal. e demonstrated value of strategic recalibration aside, when it comes to getting New Year's resolutions back on course, for many the secret sauce is simply a matter of maintaining one's vision, focus and persistence. is mix is what helped former NFL wide receiver Marques Colston become the New Orleans Saints all-time leading wide receiver (one of the top 50 in NFL history for receiving touchdowns) and, today, an entrepreneur helping retired athletes and other professionals become skilled entrepreneurs and investors in their own right. "Even though I attended a small school, my 'plan A' was to go to the NFL," Marques notes. "When people asked me if I had a 'plan B,' I would respond that my 'plan B' was for my 'plan A' to work. I just didn't see it any other way. It was all or nothing." Can this "all or nothing" mentality help the throngs of folks failing with their New Year's resolutions reel it back in and taste victory in their own right? It seems to me that such staunch intentions can certainly be a helpful means toward that end. But reality is there's no one single method that can guarantee goal-setting success. e insights and perspectives above can help you ascertain what's missing in your own plight and freshen your approach, optimally lighting that fire in your belly and sustaining it until you cross the finish line. It may not be easy, but perhaps you can perceive this truth as a thrill rather than a kill. BUSINESS

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